B & Q

Sales at DIY store B&Q tumbled 9% in the first three months of the year as poor weather kept shoppers away from the chain.

Owner Kingfisher also suffered in France with sales at its DIY chain Castorama slumping 8%.

Boss Véronique Laury said: “It was a challenging start to the year with exceptionally harsh weather across Europe and weak UK consumer demand.”

The firm’s Screwfix chain did better with a 3.6% rise in sales.

B&Q has closed 65 stores and slashed 3,000 jobs in the past two years as part of Kingfisher’s bid to revive its fortunes.